Ötzi the Iceman's Unfortunate Last Journey Possibly Uncovered
When Ötzi the Iceman died 5,300 years ago, he went to his final resting place alongside at least 75 species of mosses and liverworts. Now, new research finds that this seemingly unassuming flora reveals the details of Ötzi's last journey.
Some of the species found entombed in ice with the famous mummy are known to grow at the elevation where Ötzi died. Others were likely carried there by animals such as the alpine ibex. But the Iceman also brought some species with him, both deliberately and inadvertently, according to the new paper published Oct. 30 in the journal PLOS ONE. Many of these species grow in the nearby valley of Schnalstal in the Alps, suggesting that Ötzi made his final trek to the high mountains through this valley. Read more.
